Bioeconomy Lead

Job Highlight

The Bioeconomy Lead in the FCLP Secretariat will spearhead the FCLP's efforts on “International Collaboration on the Sustainable Land Use Economy and Supply Chains,” which notably includes the Greening Construction with Sustainable Wood initiative. This crucial work is currently led by Canada, France, and Kenya. The role involves supporting member countries in implementing policies and mobilizing resources to advance the use of sustainable timber in construction.

Specifically, this entails close collaboration with the Deputy Director of Policy to manage processes effectively and engage with governments and partners to ensure successful delivery.

About The Group

UNOPS DSIP provides support to The Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), a hosted entity. The FCLP, launched by world leaders at COP27, aims to accelerate global progress in halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while simultaneously fostering sustainable development and inclusive rural transformation. This is achieved through a voluntary partnership of countries actively contributing to this agenda via national actions and international cooperation. The significance of the Glasgow Leaders Declaration target to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030 has been reinforced by the Conference of the Parties to the Paris Agreement in the first global stocktake outcome.

To fulfill its mission, FCLP members are committed to:

• Maintaining high-level political attention on forests and climate.
• Providing combined political support to accelerate and scale implementation across prioritized Policy Action Areas.
• Supporting the implementation of participating countries' self-determined national goals and encouraging increased ambition over time.
• Demonstrating impact and accountability for commitments made.

Role Purpose

At COP28 in 2023, seventeen FCLP members pledged to advance policies and strategies that promote low-carbon construction and increase the use of wood from sustainably managed forests in the built environment. In launching this initiative, the coalition expressed its intent to collaborate with non-government partners to responsibly accelerate action and amplify impact in the following key areas:

• Advancing public policies and enabling regulatory frameworks that foster sustainable wood production.
• Promoting public policies and enabling regulatory frameworks that reduce barriers to increased wood use in construction.
• Supporting systemic collaboration and facilitating access to knowledge and support.
• Mobilizing finance and enhancing risk-taking capacity.
• Engaging societies effectively.

The scope of responsibilities for the Bioeconomy Lead, as outlined below, is based on current and projected needs for 2026, identified by the FCLP Secretariat and aligned with the current work plans of FCLP working groups.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Strategic and Policy Leadership

• Provide expert policy guidance to support FCLP members' ambitions and commitments regarding Greening Construction with Sustainable Wood.
• Offer technical expertise on crucial national and international policies to inform members' collective and individual decisions.
• Develop high-quality technical documents, briefings, and analyses as requested by members to facilitate informed action and policy coherence.
• Support the development, review, and delivery of annual work plans, ensuring alignment with FCLP priorities and governance principles.

Coordination and Delivery

• Coordinate member engagement and collaboration across the FCLP membership at the workstream level, ensuring clear roles and effective delivery of collective priorities.
• Facilitate and enable the execution of work plan activities in accordance with FCLP governance principles.
• Ensure synergy between the Greening Construction with Sustainable Wood initiative and other FCLP functions, including Communications, Engagement, and Governance.

Partnerships and Inclusive Engagement

• Cultivate and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders to advance shared objectives.
• Ensure fair participation and engagement across the entire FCLP membership.

Events and Representation

• Coordinate FCLP participation in significant events and global convenings, ensuring meaningful representation of members' priorities and contributions (e.g., UNFCCC COPs, UNGA, and regional platforms).
• Support FCLP members and partners in crafting joint messaging, materials, and communication opportunities.

Education Requirements

Required

• Advanced degree (Master’s or equivalent) preferably in environment, policy, law, international relations, economics, or related fields with a minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience. OR
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) preferably in environment, policy, law, international relations, economics, or related fields with seven (7) years of relevant experience.

Experience Requirements

Required

• Relevant experience is defined as work on international forestry and land-use policy and practice, climate change, REDD+, and sustainable commodity supply chains.
• Experience collaborating with government systems and understanding diverse dynamics across various governments.
• Proven experience in managing complex projects and processes.
• Experience working with diverse groups of stakeholders, navigating different perspectives, experiences, and interests.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with high-level actors, including Ministers.
• Familiarity with and understanding of the functions and operations of UNFCCC climate conferences and other prominent climate and nature processes.

Desired

• Experience working on policies and economics of global commodity supply chains, particularly those incentivizing sustainable production.
• Experience in developing national climate action plans or strategies, including NDCs and REDD+ strategies.
• Experience in or with fields such as green building, building codes, green procurement, life cycle accounting, and whole life carbon assessments.
• Experience in forest carbon monitoring, accounting, and reporting.

Key skills/competency

• Bioeconomy Policy
• Sustainable Land Use
• Forestry Management
• Climate Change Policy
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Project Coordination
• International Relations
• Policy Analysis
• Supply Chain Sustainability
• REDD+